Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy gives us the seven reasons why the Rangers have surged into first place in the Eastern Conference, including captain Ryan Callahan…

3. Captain Callahan

Glen Sather is a guy known for blowing smoke, but he wasn’t when he said the following about Ryan Callahan becoming the 26th captain in Rangers history: “He leads by example with courage and a tireless work ethic on and off the ice.”

Callahan plays in every situation, throws the body, grinds it out in the offensive zone. His six power-play goals put him on pace for a career high; overall, he has 26 points in 34 games.

The value of a captain is hard to pin down in the NHL; the good ones probably get more credit than they deserve, and the ones on losing teams are never really scapegoat’d. But Callahan’s a pacesetter on and off the ice.